Swords of Asia (c. 1200-1500 AD)

[Pragmatic]

(I'm asking for "background scenery" for a "head-canon-only" GM-NPC, having a display of swords in their office.)

I know that THE sword for Japan is the Katana. But that's not the only sword out of Asia.

I know that China has Jian (double-edged). There's also the Dao (single-edged). Wiki says that in this period (1200-1500 AD), the Dao seems to have been much more common. China is pretty big, and generally unified; would there be regional differences?

What would India have? And India was mostly fragmented into individual kingdoms, would there be regional differences?

What other common swords were available in the region (say, from China and puppet states, down through SE Asia and into India; not including SW Asia)?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

(I'm asking for "background scenery" for a "head-canon-only" GM-NPC, having a display of swords in their office.)

I know that THE sword for Japan is the Katana. But that's not the only sword out of Asia.

I know that China has Jian (double-edged). There's also the Dao (single-edged). Wiki says that in this period (1200-1500 AD), the Dao seems to have been much more common. China is pretty big, and generally unified; would there be regional differences?

What would India have? And India was mostly fragmented into individual kingdoms, would there be regional differences?

What other common swords were available in the region (say, from China and puppet states, down through SE Asia and into India; not including SW Asia)?

Oh dear, where to start. :)

Anything you would recognize as a "katana" today was not known in Japan in your time period. At the beginning of your period Samurai carried 5 foot long O-datchi and by the end 3 and 1/2 to 3 ft long nodatchi. The katana with short 2 handed grip and 29" blade seen most often today is from the 1800s.

Jian is a single type of sword and little changed over 2000 years but "dao" by itself isn't even a sword. The word means "knife" and is a root word used in the names of any sort of single-edged Chinese blade i.e. changdao. There is a huge variety of Chinese swords of the "dao" family.

India had a lot of different swords. Common names are things like "talwar" (generally a sort of heavy curved broadsword) and similar pronunciations. The shamshir (which may have turned into the Arab scimitar) also started in
India.

Really, your time period and area are too broad for simple characterization but other things a collector might have in a broadly-based collection are a wavy-balded "Kris", a machete-like "parang" and a heavy chopping "bolo". Maybe a Thai "krabi" too.

Start googling with names liek these and you can be busy for a longer period than you probably have available.

[Pragmatic]

Bugger.

Oh well... I'm thinking of this from a DFRPG (but more generic, so not in the GURPS forum) standpoint, so I guess some wiggle room is available.

As it's my main reference (again, generic...), what swords listed in G:Martial Arts would you suggest for each country? I'm close to settling on Katana and Jian for Wu and Shou (Forgotten Realms' Oriental Adventures), respectively. But there's the Durpari area (pseudo India area) across the sea from Zakhara (pseudo mythic Arabian Adventures area), and I'd like to include it for variety.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

Bugger.

Oh well... I'm thinking of this from a DFRPG (but more generic, so not in the GURPS forum) standpoint, so I guess some wiggle room is available.

As it's my main reference (again, generic...), what swords listed in G:Martial Arts would you suggest for each country? I'm close to settling on Katana and Jian for Wu and Shou (Forgotten Realms' Oriental Adventures), respectively. But there's the Durpari area (pseudo India area) across the sea from Zakhara (pseudo mythic Arabian Adventures area), and I'd like to include it for variety.

Sorry, but for a DFRPG-like system there are virtually no differences at the applicable level of resolution. Even in Real World terms the difference between the "dao" family swords that translate as "willow-leaf saber" and "goose-quill saber" are extremely fine (mosty about how curved the balde is and where the curve starts). Both are Gurps Cavalry Sabers without the knuckleguard and the same for Indian and Arab swords. Variety lies in names and not game stats.

The Gurps "Katana" from the Basic set is from the end of your period and msot examples on the net would be labelled "tachi" or something similar. Most of the "katanas" you see today are the "Late Katana" from Martial arts.

[sjard]

There are plenty of sources that would argue that point. With some pointing out that the first use of the term katana (to differentiate newer swords from the tachi) shows up right at the beginning of the listed time period (1170-1190 somewhere in there).

So as with anything heard on the internet, mileage may vary (including with this post). For most game purposes, use the term that would be most appropriate for your game, and players. Don't worry beyond that.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by sjard

There are plenty of sources that would argue that point. With some pointing out that the first use of the term katana (to differentiate newer swords from the tachi) shows up right at the beginning of the listed time period (1170-1190 somewhere in there).
.

I was not actually saying anything about the use of the _word_" "katana". Use of katana v. tachi may indeed go back that far but i believe thye were distinguishing infantry swords from cavalry swords that are otherwise very similar. We can get into how they are worn too if you want.

I was trying to match up game stats with what you'll find most often on the net and look for a miodern replica of a "katana" and you'll almost invariably find a late sword with a 29" blade optimized for iaijutsu. Look for a c.1500 battle sword and it'll usually be called a tachi or a nodachi.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Really, your time period and area are too broad for simple characterization but other things a collector might have in a broadly-based collection are a wavy-balded "Kris", a machete-like "parang" and a heavy chopping "bolo". Maybe a Thai "krabi" too.

And perhaps a Phillipino kalis, balisiong, kampilan, panabas.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

And perhaps a Phillipino kalis, balisiong, kampilan, panabas.

That goes in the display of "Knives beginning with the letter K" that I would put up to see how many people got the joke.

Ka-bar, kalis, katar, kerambit, kindjhal, kris, kukri.....